West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-07-29
THE BASEBALL WORLD.

II
supposes. 1t is, in fact, colossal
and carefully organized machine,
built up and controlled by capital
lists with view to making money.
The players of "nine," with their
manager, constitute ''club," and u
combination of clubs formed for
purposes of mutual advantage con-
stitutes ''league," a unit of high
er order. The two of these units
that are by far the most powerful
are the National League, the first
formed, and the American Associa
tion. These have divided the ter
ritory of the United States between
them; the National League having
clubs credited to and playing in Bos-
ton, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis,
Philadelphia, Pittsburg, New York
and Washington, while the Ameri-
can Association embraces the cities
of Baltimore, Brooklyn, Cincinnati,
Cleveland, Louisville and st. Louis.
with the Athletic Of Philadelphia
and the Metropolitan of Staten
Island. In Philadelphia, it will be
observed. both organizations are
represented, and this is virtually
the case also with regard to New
York. There are also what are
called "the minor leagues" which
are struggling for position, and by
combination with each other will
probably some day form third
great organization. They are for
the most part local, as, for example,
the International, which embraces
Newark, Buffalo, Syracuse, Hamil-
ton and Toronto, or the Southern
League, which embraces New Or
leans, Charleston, Memphis, Nash
vile and Birmingham. These
leagues, both great and small, are
best described as combinations Of
employers to prevent, on the one
hand, too much competition, and on
the other to control the players, hold
them to their agreements and en-
force discipline. The character Of
the mines and this reputation for
temperate habits, orderly lives and
good playing are said to have been
vastly improved by the tight grasp
obtained upon the individual mem
bers by the managers through the
National League and American As
sociation. For the players have no
voice in the direction of affairs;
they arc simply the employees of the
manager, or the capitalists back Of
him, and are under contract to go
and do as he directs, receiving II
stipulated salary. Their liberty Of
action is surrendered almost abso
lutely during the period of their en-
gagement, circumstance TO which
they are fully reconciled, however.
by the ample honorarium they re-
ceive. The salaries of the Detroit
nine, for example, aggregate $50,
900. The usual salary ranges from
81 200 TO $4,000 season, with So
600 for exceptionally good players.
A good nine will "draw" heavily
and make big money for their en-
ployer, or ''owner"-as he is some
times facetiously termed-in gate
receipts, and the anxiety of the club
manager to get particularly skill
full player added to his nine ire
quently leads To the payment Of
large sums. The Chicago Club, H.
will be recalled, sold Kelly 10 the
Boston Club for $4,000, this sam
not going to Kelly-in fact he was
probably not consuited--bnt to the
capitalist who had him under con
tract. The player on signing
agrees to obey orders, and the right
Of selling" him, in addition TO his
services, constitutes part Of the con
sideration for which he receives his
salary. This, it has been held by
certain agitators in the base bali
world, amounts to making q chattcl
of the player, but the player, like
other persons in the enjoyment OF
practical advantages, is not solici-
tous about merely constructive hard
ships. Complaint is also made by
his alleged friends of the fat that
the player IS Obliged to ful his con
tract to the letter or retire from the
field, owing to the combination Of
the National League and American
Association, which enables them to-
prevent his getting employment, in
discharged for cause, in any nine in
the country. But it may be ques
toned whether the public, rs well A.
the player, is not interested equally
with the manager in tile Inaintc-
nance of such rule. II the nationaL
game is to be played in manner to
attract and satisfy the pablo. IL
will have to be Systematically con-
Quoted by clubs that can rely upon
their mines doing their best at spe-
cited times and places.
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